But it still looks awesome.

You might expect police in Norfolk to patrol in a Vauxhall Astra panda car, but the local constabulary has added something a little more exciting to its fleet: a Porsche Cayman GT4.

Donated by the Lind Trust, a charity that promotes development of youths in Norwich and the surrounding areas, the GT4 will be used almost exclusively as a public relations tool, making appearances at cars and coffee events as well as schools and colleges throughout the country. That means it won’t be chasing crims anytime soon.

Chief Constable Simon Bailey said that "the GT4 will certainly attract a lot of attention – but that’s the whole idea." He’s not wrong. The Cayman GT4 was designed specifically with the race track in mind, tacking on extra aero bodywork like the massive rear wing and the more aggressive front and rear diffusers. Under the bonnet is a 3.8-litre six-cylinder engine good for 385 horsepower and 309lb ft of torque. The GT4 weighs in at 1,358kg.

Considering just 700 examples of the GT4 were produced new – each of which is already accounted for – the Norfolk police are lucky to have found one. And with its £64,451 starting price when new (used examples are nudging £100,000) and dramatic exterior to match, it should catch the attention of young drivers specifically.

"We hope the car will act as a conversation starter," continued Bailey, "which gives us the opportunity to engage with people, but more importantly those hard-to-reach groups like young drivers, and offer practical advice as well as describing what can happen when things go wrong."

With Norfolk Constabulary's headquarters based less than four miles from Lotus's factory in Hethel, we can't help but wonder if the British sports car manufacturer has missed a trick...